


The Inside Man

by bandwidthlimit



Series: Leverage Ficlets [3]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25414093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bandwidthlimit/pseuds/bandwidthlimit
Summary: One of them goes to prison for the con.
Series: Leverage Ficlets [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840567
Kudos: 14





	The Inside Man

**Author's Note:**

> Another repost from 2012 :) Enjoy

“No, no, no – no. This is a bad idea.”

“You've been in there before.”

“Yeah, but never in  _ handcuffs _ . Mm-mm, no way, Nate. Not doing it.”

Nate sighed, and shifted to slightly different tactics. “We'll get you out in no time. You'll spend one, maybe two days in there, tops.”

Hardison didn't look remotely convinced, shaking his head all the harder. “You can't put me in lock up, Nate, you're out of your damn mind. Put Eliot in prison, he'll fit right in.”

“Hey!”

Nate waved a hand at Eliot dismissively, and turned his focus back to Hardison. He knew Hardison found it unnerving to be the center of his attention, and he would use that to his advantage now. He waited until Hardison started to fidget before speaking.

“Do you remember when you all broke me out of prison?”

Making an incredulous face at him, Hardison drug out the word, “Yes.”

“And do you remember when we took down Sherman?”

“Of course I do.”

“And when we took over a private school.”

“Psh, yeah.”

“Then you know,” Nate turned the file and slid it across the tabletop, “That we almost always need an inside man. And the inside man we need right now is someone who can pass as a white collar criminal. Which you are.”

Hardison frowned, and glared at Nate. “Why can't you do it?”

“Me?” Nate smiled, and Hardison was reminded of a shark. “I've done my time. It's your turn.”

Before Hardison could protest, Nate stood and left him at the table. Parker grinned at him from the other stool. “Don't worry, if Nate leaves you in prison, Eliot and I will break you out.”

He groaned and buried his head in his hands. Parker clapped him on the back like he'd agreed with her. “Why oh why don't I find that reassuring?”

He wondered the same thing two days later when he was lying on a lumpy, prison issued mattress in bright orange, wishing he had an ear bud. Eliot was supposed to bring him one the next day, as a guard, and Sophie and Nate would be stirring up trouble outside the four gray walls of his temporary home. Parker would be at the bank, making sure the blackmail was delivered. He would be out by dinnertime the next day.

And yet, he still thought of just how right his first foster mother had been when she'd told him if he kept up like he was, the best he could expect was a jail cell.

“Dammit Nate,” he grumbled under his breath, “Next time, I pick who gets to go to prison.” Orange looked better on Nate then it did on him, anyway.


End file.
